


Cardboard Castles

by Aetherdrive



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Brief mention of homophobia, Homelessness, M/M, Poverty, Starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-02-20 07:21:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2419988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aetherdrive/pseuds/Aetherdrive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daichi is a supervisor at a small coffee shop nestled deep in the city. His new favorite regular is a captivating florist that works just around the corner, and the chemistry between them is immediate and incredible. But why does he always look so tired and worn out...?</p><p>A coffee and flower shop AU where Suga is homeless and Daichi has no idea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted write a flower shop and coffee shop AU with a twist. I was homeless myself for several months this summer, so this story comes from a very personal place. I may add warnings to the tags with later chapters as needed. This will be 4 chapters long, and I'll aim to update it weekly. Thanks for reading!

One of the best perks of his job was free coffee.

Sawamura Daichi was endlessly thankful for it, especially in the quiet moments of the early afternoon once the morning rush died down. It was Monday, just past one o’clock, and he was enjoying the relaxed atmosphere; he wiped the counter down til it shined, the shop empty aside from him, his coworker Asahi that was sweeping in the corner, and an elderly man reading the paper at a table near the window. Daichi took a moment to breathe deep, and ran a hand through his close-cropped hair, smiling as he took a sip of his own coffee. _Perfect_.

That’s when the sound of the bell over the door rang through the air.

A customer had come into the store, which, of course, wasn’t unusual in the slightest. What _was_ out of the ordinary was how _striking_ he was. A round, pixie-like face was framed with slightly messy hair, a pale, ash blonde color that Daichi didn’t often see. And his eyes--his eyes were big and warm, a stunning hazel, with a small beauty mark below one, framed by lush eyelashes and soft, full lips. He wore a simple, half-sleeve v neck, black to match his jeans; it somehow looked casual and classy at the same time.

The man was absolutely _gorgeous_.

He looked around for a moment, like someone that had never been there before, before his gaze fell on Daichi, a small smile lighting up his face. As he drew closer, the barista noticed that he seemed a bit tired; there were dark circles under his eyes, but they still sparkled with warmth as he paused, grabbed something from the case nearby, and walked up to the counter.  
  
“Hi,” Daichi said, setting down his coffee and returning the smile. “What can I get for you?”

“A small iced soy chai, please, as well as this,” he said as he placed a sandwich beside the register.

 _God, even his voice is incredible_. It was soft and smooth, and did something to Daichi’s heart that made him feel like a teenager all over again. “Sure thing. 850 yen, please.” The stranger handed him the money, and after he put it in the register, Daichi reached for the necessary cup and a pen out of instinct.  
  
“May I have your name for the drink?” The other man smiled a little, amused, and Daichi flushed a bit; there were no other customers waiting to be served, and there was hardly anyone there at all. Writing his name down was hardly necessary. _Did that seem flirty--?_   “Sorry--force of habit--”  
  
“It’s fine,” he replied with a smile. “Suga.”  
  
“Suga,” Daichi repeated, writing it on the plastic cup. “Coming right up,” he said with a smile that was just a bit brighter than usual, an extra spring in his step as he walked over to the bar to make the drink. Suga seemed content to watch him, patient and perhaps a little curious; Daichi pretended not to notice as he added the ice and milk. He carefully added the lid on top, handing it back to the other man with a faint hint of regret. He didn’t want him to go just yet.  
  
“Here you go, Suga-san.” Daichi’s smile was genuine, and the one he got in return made his heart beat just a little bit faster. The customer squinted at Daichi’s nametag before speaking up in reply--  
  
“Thank you, Sawamura-san.” The barista was caught off guard, just a little; Suga sounded like he really _meant_ it, like Daichi had just done something wonderful instead of just taking his money and making a drink. Suga waved at him before turning around and walking away at an easy pace, the bell over the door tinkling with his departure.

Daichi let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Asahi smiled at him knowingly as he continued sweeping.  
  
 _I hope he comes back_ , Daichi thought. He felt dazed for the rest of the day, embarrassed even as he left the store in the early afternoon to head home; he’d caught himself _daydreaming_ , of all things. He didn’t even know Suga; he felt foolish for being so drawn to him, but at the same time, it was... kind of nice.  
  
Luckily for him, Suga _was_ there the next afternoon... and the next, as well as the one after _that_.

When he walked in again on Friday, Nishinoya immediately shot Daichi a smirk from his position at the register. The supervisor was already making Suga’s drink as he waited in line, heart fluttering wildly.

“Looks like Daichi-san has a new favorite regular!” Nishinoya laughed, winking at Suga with a huge grin on his face.

“O-oh,” Suga said with a small smile, his cheeks faintly pink. Daichi shot a nasty glare at Nishinoya, desperately willing his own blush to fade as Suga made his way over to the bar.

“Hi, Suga-san.” Daichi was a bit bashful, and he focused his gaze back to the drink he was making. “Sorry if it's too forward, but did you move to the area recently? I haven’t seen you before you came in Monday.”

Suga’s answering smile was as warm as ever, if a little strained. Daichi noticed the dark circles under his eyes were still there--maybe even a little worse, and his face seemed a bit pale and thinner. _Maybe he's under a lot of stress...?_

“I did, actually. I started work at the flower shop around the corner a couple weeks ago, and found this shop on my lunch break one day.” He laughed quietly, scratching at his chin. “I... I really like it here, so I’ve kept coming in. It’s always nice to see you--um, and the other baristas too, of course,” he added quickly, cheeks tinged pink once more. “I guess the drinks aren’t bad either,” he teased.

Daichi laughed, and didn’t notice the knowing look that Asahi was giving him once more. “You’re too kind, Suga-san. You work over at... The Faithful Bluebell, right?”  
  
“Yeah! Right around the corner.” His smile reached all the way to his eyes. “You can just call me Suga, though, if that’s all right.”

Daichi grinned in response, heart beating just a little bit faster as he spoke. “Sure. But only if you call me Daichi.”

Suga took the drink that Daichi handed him, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. He was obviously pleased, the tips of his ears a charming pink as he smiled. “Daichi it is, then. See you around?”  
  
“You bet.” He waved to Suga as he left the store, sighing contentedly and staring after him until Nishinoya broke him from his reverie in a fit of laughter.  
  
“Oh man, you’ve got it bad, Daichi-san.”

“Get back to work,” he grumbled without any real malice, busying himself with cleaning the espresso machine.

“Daichi-san, that wasn’t a _denial_.”

“Nishinoya, stop, he’s gonna get mad--”  
  
“Come on, Asahi, live a little!”

Daichi rolled his eyes and sighed, then looked out the door one more time before going back to work.

Things had certainly gotten interesting lately.

* * *

Suga woke up on the floor of the flower shop early the following Monday morning; every part of his body protested as he stood up. He ached everywhere, and felt like he’d barely slept at all.  
  
Honestly, his life was kind of a waking nightmare, these days.

There was an undercurrent of hopelessness in his mind, a dark constant telling him there was no point in continuing. But Suga wasn’t ready to give up just yet, and he’d gotten lucky twice over when he found himself homeless in a brand new city where he didn’t know anyone.  
  
One, he’d seen the Help Wanted sign being hung up in the tiny flower shop by a kind older woman that wanted to ease into retirement, and five minutes after approaching her, found himself with a job as a florist. Having income would make it possible to eat and find shelter once in a while, and he could sleep in the shop when he couldn’t. Maeno-san was delighted to have someone willing to take care of the shop during the mornings and come back to do the same at night; she was grateful to Suga for his open schedule and eagerness to help, but didn’t realize just how much she was helping him in return.  
  
Two... was the coffee shop.

He wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked into The Crow’s Nest, but he figured that eating at least one meal a day was important, and getting lunch around the corner wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.

What he got was a cozy place with great chai lattes, excellent sandwiches, and the most handsome, adorable man supervising the weekday morning shifts that he had ever seen in his _life_.

Each visit, each chai latte, each sandwich and every single interaction with Daichi all made for a brightness in his life that he desperately needed, something to keep him going in the quiet moments, something to keep him strong when it fully hit him just how alone he was and how hopeless his situation had become. Suga had no family that could or wanted to back him up, no friends to bail him out, and no savings to find a real place to stay.  
  
But he had a job, and he had his daily visits to the cafe--and for now, that was enough.

It was early, yet, only a little past five in the morning as Suga let himself into the small bathroom in the back of the store with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Staring into the mirror, he hardly recognized himself anymore--he looked so much worse than he had even a couple months before. He’d lost too much weight, was more pale than ever, the skin under his eyes dark with perpetual fatigue. Looking into his own eyes made his breath catch ragged in his throat--it was too much, and he broke away before he could begin trembling, before he could be overwhelmed. Now was not the time for tears. He willed himself to feel numb; apathy was his best armor against the situation right now.  
  
Anything else was too painful to bear.

Carefully, he washed his hair in the sink with the hand soap nearby, drying it off with paper towels. He scrubbed at his face and body quickly with damp paper towels too, brushing his teeth and putting on deodorant from his pack, changing his clothes so he didn’t smell too funny. He looked like shit and he knew it, but at least he didn’t look stereotypically homeless--just exhausted. It made him feel a little more human, and people didn’t judge him so harshly that way; they just thought of him as a hard worker instead of something less savory.  
  
He’d seen too many in his situation in the last few weeks get treated like garbage, and he didn’t want to make things worse for himself. _Appearances are everything_ , he thought with a wry smile as he turned the light off and left the bathroom.  
  
He ignored the rumbling of his empty stomach as he carefully began preparing the shop for the day; he tied his dark green apron over his clothing and began putting together several bouquets that had been ordered ahead of time. It was easy to lose himself in his work; the flowers offered him a comfort, a distraction that left him feeling just a little bit better while he was on shift.

At seven, he turned the sign on the door from _Closed_ to _Open_ , finding more small tasks to busy himself between phone calls requesting specific bouquets. Monday mornings were slow, and he didn’t get his first customer until someone walked in the door shortly after eight. That wasn’t too out of the ordinary--but what _was_ unusual was that it was Daichi, of all people, holding a familiar drink in his hand.

“Daichi! Good morning.” The warmth in Suga’s voice was completely genuine; he felt a little foolish for being so enamored with a man he barely knew, but he felt like he really couldn’t help it. Not when Daichi _smiled_ at him like that; warmth bloomed in his chest as the barista supervisor waved at him casually, though his cheeks were a bit flushed. _So cute_ , Suga thought as he put down the flowers he was holding.  
  
“Hi, Suga.” He scratched at the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. “I have a short break before I have to get back, so I thought I’d stop in. Um.” He held out the cup in his hand, blushing a little. “I hope it’s not too presumptuous of me--I brought you your drink a little early, on the house. But I hope you still stop by later,” he added quickly, looking just a little flustered.

“Oh! Thank you so much, Daichi--really, thank you.” _It means a lot to me_ , Suga wanted to add, but he stopped himself on the first word, self-conscious about how earnest he’d probably sound. And yet, he couldn’t stop himself from reaching down to the bouquet he’d been working on, plucking out a long green stem topped with a small line of delicate blue flowers.  
  
“Here,” he said as he held it out a bit shyly. “Um, it’s the signature flower of the store, a bluebell. In the language of flowers, it means ‘gratitude’.”

Daichi looked almost stunned as he took it, and carefully held it between two fingers. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips, his expression openly hopeful and full of adoration. “Wow. Thank you, Suga.” He laughed a little, bashful and embarrassed. “I hate to leave, but I really should get going before the baristas do something crazy while I’m gone. Will you... stop by later?”  
  
“Of course! Thank you so much, Daichi.”  
  
“No problem. Thank you for the bluebell; I’ll see you later,” he said with a small wave as he turned to leave.  
  
On his way back to The Crow’s Nest, Daichi felt like he was walking on air. Suga stared out the door after him, heart racing as he sipped at his chai latte.

He was totally smitten, but maybe he wasn’t the only one...

* * *

When he walked back into the coffee shop with the bluebells gently held in his hand, Nishinoya zeroed in on it instantly, his whooping and cheering audible through the entire store.

“ _Yeah!_ Get it, Daichi-san!”  
  
Daichi groaned. “It’s not like that--”  
  
“Come on, I’m not blind--” Asahi clamped a hand over the shorter man’s mouth as Daichi tucked the flower into a pocket on his apron before he took his spot at the register. He shot a grumpy look at Nishinoya, and Asahi held his hands up in a placating gesture.  
  
“He’s just, um, excited for you, you know?”  
  
“You bet I am! Is he coming back later?”  
  
“He is, and you better behave, or you’re scrubbing the toilet every day for the next month.”

“Of course!” Nishinoya tried to sound innocent, but it was ruined with a chuckle that he couldn’t contain. Asahi looked at him nervously; he knew the shorter boy better than he knew himself, and it was clear he was up to no good.

* * *

When Suga walked into the shop several hours later, Daichi was wiping down a table while Nishinoya manned the register and Asahi made drinks. The supervisor watched Nishinoya with narrowed eyes, but the interaction seemed totally normal as he took Suga’s money, wrote down his name on the cup and handed it over to Asahi.

Asahi didn’t even look at it as he made Suga’s drink; they all knew it by heart already. A moment later, the florist walked over to Daichi with his latte and sandwich in hand, greeting him as warmly as he always did. “Nishinoya-kun and Asahi-kun are wonderful,” he said with a small smile. “Are they students working part-time?”  
  
“Nishinoya is, but Asahi graduated last year like me. We were on the same volleyball team in school. They’re a handful, but they’re good guys,” he said with a laugh. “I got them jobs here a few years ago.”  
  
“You played volleyball?” Suga asked with a growing smile. “Me too! I love volleyball, I was a setter for my team in high school and college.”  
  
Daichi looked pleasantly shocked. _I think Suga might actually be perfect_ , he thought. “Really! That’s amazing! I was a wing spiker and the captain in the last year. I still play with some guys in the neighborhood sometimes with Asahi and Nishinoya when we can manage it. Maybe you could come too, next time?”  
  
“I’d love that,” he said earnestly. “Let me know when you’re playing again, and I’ll do my best to make it.”  
  
They chatted for a few more minutes before Suga excused himself; the florist was halfway out the door before he looked at the cup in his hand and saw what Nishinoya had written down.  
  
 ** _Daichi-san’s Future Boyfriend!!_**

He made a slightly strangled noise and looked back at the register with wide eyes, his cheeks a vibrant shade of crimson; Nishinoya grinned and waved back at him. Suga waved shyly and made to hurry on his way, but he could hear Daichi yell “What did you do, Nishinoya?!” as the door behind him finally closed.

His heart beat just a little faster as he held the cup close to his chest, and his lips curved upward in a smile as he made his way back to work.

Daichi was wonderful, there was no doubt in his mind about it. The idea of dating him left him a little breathless; he felt his cheeks redden all over again as the thought of kissing him floated through his mind. But even then, a cold sliver of anxiety settled in his stomach, and he had to wonder...

What would Daichi think, if he knew Suga's situation?

He shook his head as he walked back into the flower shop. He could cross that bridge when they came to it--if they got there at all.

* * *

_to be continued in chapter 2_

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kind comments :) I'll be trying to keep a steady update schedule with this fic; only two more chapters to go, and I have them both outlined! I'll probably draw a few scenes from it once I finish, too; those'll be over on my tumblr, which is also aetherdrive :>

Tuesday found Daichi in an almost quiet, thoughtful mood, even as Suga came and left during the course of his lunch break. He stared after the florist long after he was gone, until he was broken from his reverie by Tanaka’s chuckling.  
  
“So, is that the lucky guy, Daichi-san? Noya told me all about him!”

“We’re not dating,” he shot back warningly.  
  
“Not _yet_ ,” Tanaka smirked. “When are you gonna make your move?”

Daichi gave him his best glare. “...When the time is right,” he finally mumbled, looking back towards the door.  
  
Tanaka gave him a thumbs up. “Hell yeah! Damn, I didn’t even know you like dudes.”

“Probably because it’s none of your business. Go clean the windows.”

Tanaka saluted him with a huge grin on his face, and began whistling as he walked away to complete his task. Daichi sighed, and busied himself with cleaning the espresso bar. He had a plan; he could write his number under Suga’s name on his cup, and it would be super romantic. Then, when Suga texted him, Daichi would ask him to dinner, and Suga would (hopefully, probably) say yes. It was perfect.

Unfortunately for Daichi, the people he worked with were the definition of unpredictable.

* * *

Nishinoya’s voice was a rough whisper as he clutched a small blackboard to his chest, a white chalk pen in his other hand. “Asahi, go outside with the broom and pretend like you’re sweeping; distract anyone that’s not Suga-san if they try to come in the door, he’ll probably be here any minute now. If anyone besides Suga-san sees the sign once I finish it, Daichi-san will probably kill me.”

“He’ll do it anyway! Noya, you can’t--”

“He’ll thank me later! ...Probably.”

Nishinoya rushed the taller barista out; Daichi was behind the register, rearranging mugs beneath the counter. Casual as can be, the shorter man walked up and placed the blackboard in front of the register, facing out towards the rest of the store.

“The daily special tonight will be the cinnamon caramel latte, right?” he asked innocently.  
  
“Right. Do me a favor and try to make it legible this time,” Daichi replied dryly.

“You got it, Daichi-san!”

And with that, Nishinoya began writing. A minute later, it was complete; he smirked at his handiwork, and capped the chalk pen just as Suga walked in the door. He offered the florist a grin and a wave before strolling casually into the back room, leaving Daichi and Suga alone at the front.

Suga’s face lit up with its customary smile when he locked eyes with Daichi, all warmth and friendliness. As he stepped closer to the register, he grabbed his usual sandwich from the cooling case, and his gaze landed on the sign that Nishinoya had just finished; he stopped in his tracks to read it. One hand flew up to cover his mouth as he tried--and failed--not to laugh; Daichi’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.   
  
“...Nishinoya didn’t actually write down the evening special, did he.” He picked up the sign and turned it around in his hands; his face went red with momentary anger before it drained of all color.

 

**TODAY YOUR BARISTA IS:**

1\. hella fucking gay  
2\. desperately single

**FOR YOUR DRINK, I RECOMMEND:**

you give me your phone number ;) <3

 

“Daichi, please don’t stop breathing,” Suga laughed into his hand. “If you die, then I can’t actually give you my number. It would be a real tragedy.”

“What? ...Really?” The barista took took a deep breath, eyes full of hope.

“Yes, really. Here.” Before Suga could convince himself not to, he uncapped a marker hooked over the edge of his apron and boldly reached for one of Daichi’s hands; it was a little larger than his own, warm and slightly rough with faint callouses. The edge of the marker tickled Daichi’s skin as Suga wrote his number across his palm; he hesitated for a moment, and then added a little heart underneath it before he let Daichi’s hand go.

“Um, so.” Suga’s cheeks were a charming pink as he replaced the marker on the edge of his apron, and dug into the front pocket for money.  
  
“Ah... no. It’s on the house today. Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh?” Suga’s smile was slow and radiant and _too damn gorgeous_ , Daichi thought as his heart skipped a beat in his chest. “Such a gentleman.”

“I try,” Daichi laughed as he walked to the espresso bar to make Suga’s iced chai latte. He laughed quietly as he put a lid on the cup, looking just a bit bashful as he handed it to the florist. “That didn’t really go the way I planned,” he admitted.

“But it still worked out okay, right?” Suga flashed him another warm smile, a little more shy this time. “Um... feel free to text or call whenever, really. I’ll see you later, then?”

“Yeah, definitely.” Daichi flushed a little as Suga waved and turned away; he returned the gesture before looking down at the numbers scrawled carefully across his hand. His lips curved upward as he reached for his phone to add a new contact; a moment later, he wrote out a text and hit Send before he could convince himself not to.  
  
 ** _Sent to: Suga  
_**_I guess Nishinoya isn’t such a bad wingman after all._

He closed his phone and reached for his own mug of coffee on instinct; his eyes slid shut as he took a sip and let out a deep breath to relax himself. A faint vibration on the counter brought him back to reality; he’d already gotten a response to his text.  
  
 ** _From: Suga_**  
 _True! But, did you take that sign down? You wouldn’t want someone to get the wrong idea! ;)_

Daichi felt his blood run cold for the second time that afternoon as he realized that he had not, in fact, taken the sign down; he reached for it and threw it behind the counter just as an older woman walked into the shop, followed by Asahi, who dutifully held a broom in one hand and shut the door with the other.

“Um, where’s Noya?” the brunette asked quietly as the customer browsed the tea rack.

Daichi’s smile was incredibly frightening, if the sudden lack of color in Asahi’s face was anything to go by. “In the back somewhere. Please tell him that I’m glad he loves cleaning the toilet so much, and thank him for volunteering to do it for the next three months.”

Later, when the shop was empty again, Nishinoya grinned at his supervisor and former classmate while twirling a cleaning rag between his fingers. “So you got his number, right? Otherwise I’m pretty sure I’d be dead right now.”

“You’re lucky I’m in such a good mood,” Daichi grumbled. “I’m going home. And I’m never letting you near the blackboard again.”

Nishinoya just gave him a thumbs up in response; truthfully, Daichi wasn’t even angry, though he wouldn’t admit it out loud.

He smiled as he ran his fingers over the phone in his apron pocket. Maybe today was the start of something special.

* * *

Suga’s elation was soon darkened by a shadow of worry.

Daichi still didn’t _know_. What would he say when he found out? Should Suga mention it? But how _could_ he? ‘Oh, by the way, I’m homeless, ha ha, what a laugh’?

No way. Maybe... maybe by the time it came up, he would have an apartment again? He was slowly saving money from working at the Bluebell, only spending what he really needed to with the occasional treat; lunch and sometimes a cheap granola bar for dinner, with a stop by the local laundromat once a week to wash his small bag of clothes. As long as nothing went wrong, he could potentially have enough for a downpayment on an apartment a few months down the line.

It would be fine. He could tell Daichi when it wasn’t even a problem anymore, regardless of whether or not they ended up dating. God, but he really hoped they ended up dating.

 _It’ll be fine_ , he thought to himself as he pulled a thin blanket up to his chin later that evening, his apron cushioning his head from the floor. The tile of the Bluebell was cold and hard; he shivered as he tried to get comfortable. _It’ll be fine_. It was becoming a mantra, a desperate form of self-reassurance. _Everything will be fine_. Maybe if he thought the words enough, he could start to believe them.

He ignored the tears trickling down his face and clutched his phone close, and prayed that sleep would come soon and grant him a reprieve from the waking world.

* * *

“Are those... cupcakes?”

Thursday afternoon was cooler than usual as Nishinoya and Tanaka peered out of the store window. Daichi looked up from his coffee, and sure enough, Suga was carefully opening the door with a small box of cupcakes cradled precariously in his arms.

“Hi, everyone,” he said with a smile as he set the box on the counter. “It’s not much, but I thought I’d pick something up from the bakery for you.” _Money well spent_ , he thought warmly as the three baristas’ faces all lit up.

“Daichi-san. Marry him _right now_ ,” Tanaka said gravely. Daichi smacked him in the back of the head, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

“Go in the back and eat some cupcakes. We’re going to put together some new promotional displays after you finish.” The two baristas high fived and both shoved their hands into the box simultaneously; they vanished into the back room, leaving Daichi and Suga alone.

“Thank you, Suga.” Daichi fidgeted with a loose thread on his apron. “This was really sweet of you.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Consider us even for the free drinks you’ve given me twice now.” He paused for a moment and smiled. “Sorry for embarrassing you all the time, though.”

“I forgive you. I guess you could make it up to me by letting me buy you dinner, though.” His smile faltered a little as his blush reached his ears and spilled down his neck. “I... I mean, if that’s okay with you--”

Suga’s own cheeks were pink at this point, his smile radiant and genuine; in that moment, the dark circles and fatigue were hardly even noticeable. “Are you kidding? Of course it’s okay. Saves me the trouble of asking _you_ ,” he replied with a laugh.

“... _Oh_.” Daichi tried to play it cool, but his delight was clear on his face. “Well, then... Are you free tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, absolutely! Sounds great. I’m looking forward to it.” The words came out smoothly enough, but Suga’s heart was beating so hard that he was almost surprised Daichi couldn’t hear it.

“Yeah... yeah, me too.” The supervisor sounded almost dazed as Suga placed his sandwich by the register; Daichi looked at it blankly for a moment before he pushed it back towards the florist, and turned to the espresso bar to make his drink. “No way are you paying for your lunch right now. Not after you just made my day like that.”

“But then we won’t be even for the cupcakes anymore!” Suga laughed.  
  
“I guess you’ll just have to bring us some more, then,” Daichi replied with a smile. He finished Suga’s drink a moment later and handed it over; the florist took it and waved, eyes warm with gratitude.  
  
“Thank you, Daichi. I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
  
“You bet.” He waved as Suga left, and stared out the door after him the way he always did.  
  
He didn’t notice Tanaka and Nishinoya; the two baristas stood in the door of the back room, watching him with small smiles of their own.

“Daichi-san looks a lot happier since Suga-san started coming around, right?” Nishinoya whispered.  
  
“Seriously. Suga-san’s like an angel. I’m so pumped for Daichi-san to--”  
  
“Hey.” Both of the baristas snapped to attention to find the supervisor staring them down; his mug of coffee hid the lower half of his face, but his eyes glimmered dangerously. “If you have time to gossip about me, you have time to dust the shelves and work on the displays.”

“You got it!” The two younger men immediately went to work; Daichi spared one more glance out the door.  
  
Focusing on his job had never been so difficult.

* * *

_It’s worth it_. The thought replayed itself in Suga’s mind over and over since he stepped into the nearby gym that evening to purchase a one-month membership; it would give him access to a shower every day, and he could look somewhat decent for his date with Daichi tomorrow. _And maybe getting to shower daily would help the aches... and make it easier to keep myself together, emotionally...?_

As soon as he stepped under the spray of hot water a few minutes later, he knew, without a doubt, that it was worth every cent.  
  
Being able to take a hot shower was a luxury he had always taken for granted before he couldn’t have them anymore; he hadn’t had a real shower in weeks, had gotten clean just by wiping himself down and washing his hair in the bathroom of the Bluebell. Within moments, he felt better than he had in a very, very long time. _If there’s a heaven on earth, this might actually be it._

He took longer than necessary; almost half an hour later he stepped out, clean and feeling much more grounded than he had an hour before. There was an extra spring in his step as he made his way back to the Bluebell; he greeted Maeno-san and chatted with her politely before a bit before he ushered her home for the evening, promising to take care of everything else and lock up like he always did.

She had no idea that he was sleeping in the back room during the night; he felt bad about it, and a little nervous, but he didn’t have many other options if he wanted to save money. The idea of getting caught was terrifying; he’d already come up with an excuse if she happened to find him sleeping on the floor one night, as unlikely as it probably was. _I’m so tired, I must’ve collapsed--I’m so sorry_ , he would say. He hoped the day never came and that he never _had_ to say it; he wasn’t fond of or remotely good at lying, no matter how necessary it really was.

Excuses, lies, dodging questions--they’d all become such a daily part of Suga’s thoughts, a necessary defense mechanism to hide what he had started to think of as a shameful secret. Only two people knew his situation--two kouhai that he had played volleyball with before he graduated college. But they had their own lives to handle; at most, Suga texted them once in a while, and let them know he was doing okay.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and reached for his phone to send a message to one of them; now was as good a time as any.

**_Sent to: Hinata-kun  
_** _Hey, Hinata. How are you? Just wanted to let you know things are great. That cute barista asked me on a date! Isn’t that awesome?_

He curled up at his usual spot on the floor, and had just gotten as comfortable as he could when his phone vibrated with a response.

**_From: Hinata-kun  
_** _thats awesome!! Im so glad! he better treat you right or else >:[ Im doing great, so is Kageyama and the others too!! pls take care of yourself, ok? <3_

Despite the weight of the world bowing his shoulders, Suga smiled in the darkness as he read the message.

If nothing else, he still had his friends.

* * *

It was nearly time for Suga’s lunch break the next afternoon when Daichi walked through the door.

“I figured I’d save you the trouble of coming to the shop today,” the barista said with a smile as he placed Suga’s usual sandwich and chai latte next to the register.

“You’re going to spoil me if you keep treating me like this.” Suga’s eyes sparkled with warmth; it didn’t escape Daichi’s notice that he looked a little better than he had the day before.

“Would that be a bad thing?”  
  
“Not at all. Come here, though, I have something for you too.” Daichi moved around the counter as Suga leaned over to pick something up behind the desk; when he stood again, he had a few green stems in his hand, topped with rows of tiny white flowers.

“This flower is called Lily of the Valley. In the language of flowers, it means you’re sweet.” His cheeks flushed a little. “I don’t know if flowers are really comparable to lunch, but--”  
  
“They’re great.” Daichi brushed a single finger over the delicate petals, his touch gentle and careful. “Thank you, Suga. You’re... you’re pretty amazing, you know?”  
  
“I could say the same to you, Daichi.” Suga’s fingers trailed over the back of Daichi’s hand for a moment before he reached forward; he tucked the flowers into the pocket on the front of Daichi’s apron and looked up to meet his gaze. “I’m really looking forward to tonight,” he said quietly. The words came out with an edge of raw honesty that he hadn’t intended, but Daichi clearly picked up on it.

“That makes both of us.” He shifted his weight a little, restless with excitement. “How does six o’ clock sound? Should I pick you up here, or from your place?”

 _My place... yeah, I wish._ Suga covered the twinge of sadness as best as he could with yet another smile. “Here is fine. Six is good, too.” _Just enough time for another shower_. “I’ll see you then.”  
  
Daichi waved at him before leaving to return to work; Suga waved back, and let out a content sigh as he stared out the door.

_Tonight will be amazing, I can feel it._

* * *

Suga’s sweater was light blue, soft, and absolutely huge on him. It had already been too big before, but after losing weight over the last month, he was practically swimming in it. Daichi thought it was adorable, and it made Suga look fragile in a way that made the barista want to wrap him in his arms to shield him from the world.

Ironic, considering Daichi didn’t realize just how bad things were for the smaller man.

“What’s your favorite food? I can find a place that serves it on my phone.”

“Mapo tofu!” Suga smiled brightly. “Spicy. So spicy it makes your nose run. If you don’t cry a little, it’s not spicy enough.”  
  
“Ew,” Daichi said with a laugh. “Okay, let’s see what we can find...” Suga leaned close and watched him curiously as Daichi looked up restaurants in the area nearby that served the dish. The lights of the flower shop cast a faint glow over his face; Daichi smiled fondly as he looked up and noticed. _He’s kind of angelic_ , he thought to himself. After a few moments of scrolling through listings, he paused. “Hey, there’s a place that serves it a few blocks from here. And they have good ratings. What do you say?”

“Sounds perfect!”  
  
“Kind of like you.” Daichi’s eyes widened and he covered his mouth; his blush reached the tips of his ears. “Oh my god, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Suga laughed. “I see you’re a smooth talker.”  
  
“Yeah, no.” Daichi looked down the street and started walking as he willed his blush to fade; a moment later, he heard Suga fall into step beside him. He felt the back of the florist’s hand brush his knuckles briefly, surely an accident; but a moment later, Suga reached over and threaded their fingers together, his skin chilled slightly from the cool evening air.

A thrill raced through Daichi’s blood as he looked over at the other man; Suga just smiled back at him as he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. “You... you don’t mind, right?”  
  
“No way, of course not.” Daichi laughed a little. “I’m just... not used to losing my composure with someone. You’re the only person that does this to me.”  
  
“What, holds your hand? I sure hope so.”  
  
“No! I mean, you’re the only person that makes me lose my composure--” But Suga was laughing, and it was clear he had just been teasing him. “See, that’s what I mean. You’re crafty.”

“Is that a bad thing?”  
  
“No, it’s cute.” Daichi’s smile was captivating; Suga’s own smile widened just from looking at it. They bantered back and forth with no hint of awkwardness as they walked to the restaurant, a tiny little shop with a lively atmosphere. They made their way to a free table in the back and placed their orders after glancing at the menu for a few minutes; Daichi played with his phone absently as they waited, and Suga fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater.

“So, Daichi... Correct me if I’m wrong,” Suga started, his grin showing that he was pretty certain he wasn’t, “but did you play volleyball for Karasuno High and Karasuno University?”

Daichi was caught off guard. “Yeah, I did. I was the captain in high school and college. Wait, who did you play for?”  
  
“I _knew_ you seemed familiar the first time I saw you!” Suga’s laughter was carefree. “Oh, that’s too funny. I played for Seirin High and Seirin University. I was actually the vice-captain and eventually the captain in high school and college, too, but I didn’t usually play as a starter in the later years despite that.”  
  
“You were the captain of _Seirin_? With the Decoy and the King? And the Megane Wall?”  
  
“Oh my god, I’m pretty sure Tsukishima would die if he heard you call him the Megane Wall.” Suga laughed, and Daichi couldn’t help but smile in turn. “Yeah, I was the captain of that team. It’s too bad, we always just barely missed playing each other. Bad luck with matchups, I guess.” He sighed, but didn’t seem sad. “Those were the days. Ennoshita is the captain now, but he’s graduating next year... If it goes like it did in high school, Yamaguchi will be captain after that.” His smile was fond and reminiscent. “I miss them sometimes. Hinata said they’re all moving out here after they graduate, though. Or at least, he is, and he’s gonna try to bully everyone else to do it, too. But I think Hinata and Kageyama are gonna go pro.”

“Oh yeah, Nishinoya probably will too. He’s got scouts following him everywhere now. No surprise, really.”  
  
“I’m surprised _you_ didn’t! I heard so much about you while I was in school!”

The tips of Daichi’s ears turned pink. “Hey now, flattery will get you everywhere.”

Suga’s smile turned a little more devious. “Are you fishing for compliments, Daichi?”  
  
“No, but I definitely don’t mind hearing them,” he replied with a grin as he took a sip of water.  
  
“Okay, then let’s talk about how hot you are.” Daichi promptly choked on his drink and Suga laughed again. “All right, maybe not.”

The rest of dinner went smoothly; they talked for upwards of two hours before Daichi finally paid the bill. Outside, he took Suga’s hand in his; there was no hesitation in the movement, no hint of trepidation as he stared into his eyes.  
  
“Would you like me to walk you home?” he asked softly.

Suga did his best to push the weight of guilt to the furthest corners of his mind. “I promised I would stop by the Bluebell and make sure everything was ready for tomorrow. But if you don’t mind going back there...”  
  
“Oh! Did you need to be back at a certain time?”  
  
“No, it’s okay! Maeno-san already went home for the evening. She only comes in for a few hours a day now, and the shop closes early.”

“All right. Let’s go.” Daichi squeezed Suga’s hand with the faintest pressure; Suga could barely keep his eyes off of him as they walked. The chill of the mid October air barely seemed to touch him; their shoulders brushed more than once on the way back, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t entirely an accident.  
  
It seemed like all too soon that they were standing in front of the shop; the street was mostly dark, since most of the shops were closed. A dim light bathed them in a faint glow as they stood next to the Bluebell’s door; Suga fiddled with the edge of his sleeve again, but Daichi reached down, and suddenly had both of Suga’s hand enveloped in his own.  
  
“Suga,” he said softly. The corners of his lips curved up as he spoke. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”  
  
The florist could feel his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. “Me too, Daichi. Thank you.”

“I feel like I should be the one thanking you, honestly. For going to dinner with me, I mean. It really was great. Suga, I...” He paused, like he was thinking about the right thing to say. “I feel like we’ve really clicked. Talking to you feels as natural as breathing, and tonight was incredible. So, I was wondering... Would you be my boyfriend?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” He didn’t even think about it; he wrapped his arms around Daichi in a tight hug and buried his face in the crook of his neck, breathless with elation. “I feel like I’ve wanted to do this forever, and I’ve only known you for two weeks,” he whispered. Daichi shivered at the close contact, and returned the hug without a second thought.  
  
“Yeah, I know what you mean. You pretty much had me the second you walked into the shop, honestly. The baristas have been giving me hell about you since day one.” He ran one hand through Suga’s hair, relishing the feel of his silky locks against his fingers.

A moment later, he stepped back, just a little; Suga looked up at him, curious. The hand Daichi had in his hair trailed down to Suga’s cheek; his thumb trailed gently across his jaw before his hand came to rest under the florist’s chin. Suga’s head tilted up with the motion, just barely; their faces were so close that they could feel the warmth of each other’s breath.  
  
“Suga,” he said, his voice low and quiet. “Can I kiss you?”  
  
“Please,” he whispered.  
  
Slowly, Daichi closed what little distance remained between the two of them; gently, he pressed his lips against Suga’s. It was warm and soft and so tender it almost made Daichi’s heart ache; it took every ounce of willpower not to deepen it, to not go further like he so desperately wanted. When Suga pushed back into the kiss, ever so slightly, Daichi felt his knees go weak with need.

He broke away a moment later; it had been rather chaste, as far as kisses go, but both of their hearts were beating fast, and their breathing was just the slightest bit ragged.  
  
“Wow,” Suga whispered, dazed.   
  
“Yeah... yeah.” That was about all Daichi could manage. “We should... do this again soon. Actually... Are you free on Sunday? Can I buy you dinner again?”

Suga’s smile made his heart jump into his throat. _He is seriously too gorgeous_. “I’m off on Sunday, yeah. That’d be awesome.” He leaned forward, and placed a quick kiss on Daichi’s cheek; the barista’s hand came up to touch the place where Suga’s lips had been, and he looked at him with eyes full of wonder as Suga took the keys to the shop out of his pocket.  
  
“Okay. I’ll text you Sunday, then.” Daichi couldn’t help himself; he leaned forward, and kissed Suga one more time, lingering at his lips for several seconds before breaking away. “Good night, Suga.”  
  
Daichi felt like he was walking on air the entire way home; his apartment was a twenty minute walk, and by the time he fell into bed, his elation still hadn’t faded in the slightest.  
  
Back at the Bluebell, Suga curled up on the floor with his blanket; for the first time in a long time, he fell asleep with a genuine smile on his face.

* * *

“Ennoshita-san? What’s wrong?”

The captain of Seirin turned; Yamaguchi was watching him, a look of clear concern on his face. He sighed; he realized then that he’d been staring at the volleyball in his hands, lost in thought, instead of actually cleaning up the gym.  
  
“I’m... just worried about Suga-san, I guess. We haven’t heard much from him lately, after he moved... I feel like something might be wrong, but he hasn’t said anything and I’m not sure it’s my place to ask.”  
  
Hinata’s face fell as the conversation reached his ears. His hands curled into fists at his sides. Ennoshita was right on the mark, and the thought of Suga sleeping on the floor of a flower shop was enough to make the decoy sick. But Suga hadn’t asked for help, and made it clear multiple times that he would try to fix it on his own; Hinata couldn’t tell the others. He was sure Suga didn’t want them to know; he didn’t even want Hinata and Kageyama to know, but they had been visiting the day that Suga realized he had nowhere to go, and his two kouhai ended up getting front row seats to the entire disaster.

But honestly, despite Suga's wishes, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep it a secret.  
  
“Maybe we can go visit him soon!” Yamaguchi said. “I’ve been a little worried too... I’m sure he wouldn’t mind seeing us.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll try to get a hold of him and see if we can organize a weekend trip out. We have some time off coming up, and you guys could use a break.”

“Awesome! Isn’t that great, Tsukki?”  
  
“Sure, whatever.”

Yamaguchi smiled. “Tsukki’s been worried too.” Tsukishima huffed, but didn’t deny it; Yamaguchi laughed and bumped into his shoulder, fondness evident in his voice. “Come on, Tsukki, don't be so grumpy.”  
  
To the side, Hinata let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in, and met Kageyama’s eyes. The setter took his hand in his own and squeezed it in a brief moment of comfort before letting go.  
  
“It’ll be fine,” he said quietly. Hinata desperately wanted to believe him, with all of his heart.  
  
But from the sound of it, Kageyama wasn’t too sure, either.

* * *

_to be continued in chapter 3_

 


	3. Chapter 3

**_From: Daichi  
_** _What time should we go today? Do you think 12 sounds good?_

 **_Sent to: Daichi  
_** _Sounds perfect! :) Would you like to meet at your place and go from there?_

 **_From: Daichi_ **   
_Are you sure? If I’m taking you out, shouldn’t I be the one to meet you?_   
  
**_Sent to: Daichi_ **   
_I don’t mind! I don’t often walk around the city, so it’d be nice!_

Suga’s hands went cold with anxiety at his attempt to avoid the truth once more as Daichi replied with his agreement and the address to his apartment complex. It wasn’t a _lie_ , not outright, but he still felt unpleasantness and guilt settle in his stomach like a leaden weight.   
  
He stretched in his chair and stifled a yawn; since he was off today, he couldn’t sleep in the shop last night like he usually did, or he’d risk getting caught when Maeno-san came to open up in the morning. Instead, he went to a manga cafe nearby; he’d been a few times before in similar situations. He couldn’t work every day of every week, after all. It was a relatively cheap place to sleep overnight, and many people did if they missed their train; idly, Suga wondered what the cashier thought of him, since he’d been around almost weekly.  
  
 _Just a forgetful florist that missed the last train, and nothing more,_ he thought as he paid his bill and waved goodbye with a strained smile. Once he was outside, he had to pause, leaning heavily against a telephone pole; a wave of dizziness hit him strong enough to make him sway on his feet. _I guess the strain and lack of food is having an effect on me..._

He stopped by the laundromat to wash the two changes of clothing in his bag, and passed the time by reading articles on his phone. After his laundry was done, he went to the gym he had a membership at, and made a beeline for the showers; it was a little busier since it was the weekend, but luckily, plenty of stalls were still free. He took his time under the hot water, like he usually did; he relished each small comfort that he could these days, and taking a shower was certainly one of his favorite parts of a day now.

By the time he was done, it was already 11, but Daichi’s apartment was only about a half hour walk from his current location. He checked himself in a mirror in the bathroom, and paused; he looked so, so different. His facial features were sharper than they used to be, his frame smaller with the loss of weight, his shoulders hunched just slightly in stress; the ever-present dark circles under his eyes stood out in sharp relief against his skin, which had always been on the lighter side, but was now more pale than ever before.   
  
_What could a man like Daichi see in a guy like me? I look like a mess._ Quickly, he pushed the thought down; he couldn’t think things like that, not now, not when he was meeting up with Daichi in less than an hour. He couldn’t show more weakness than his appearance already did; he was certain that it was a warning sign to the barista, a signal that something was amiss.  
  
At least he could pass it off as working too hard. _Maybe that’s why he buys me food so often... he probably thinks I don’t eat enough._ Suga paused as he ran a comb through his drying hair; he smiled, but there was no mirth in it at all. _Not that he’d be wrong, if that is the case..._

He took a deep breath and willed himself to relax before leaving the gym; it was chilly outside, but bright, and he smiled a little despite himself. It was a nice day--perfect for a date, and for him to collect himself, to put his calm and at-ease facade firmly into place. _Everything will be fine._ He was already lucky enough to be dating Daichi; another couple months of hardship, and he could get an apartment and everything would be fine.  
  
 _Everything will be fine..._

He took a moment to duck into the Bluebell, since he had to pass it to get to Daichi’s and needed somewhere to store his bag anyway, and Maeno-san greeted him with endless warmth.

“You’re so responsible and hardworking, Suga-chan. Thank you for caring so much about my little shop.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he replied brightly. “Thank you so much for allowing me to work here! It means a lot to me.”  
  
“Of course!” She smiled back at him knowingly. “Are you going somewhere special today, Suga-chan?”  
  
He laughed a little bashfully. “I am! I’m meeting up with someone... very special. Would it be okay if I left my bag here until I come by to close up later?”

“Anything for you, my dear! Here, let’s put it in the office.” He followed her and stored it right beside the desk, and bowed deeply when he was done.  
  
“Thank you so much again, Maeno-san. I’ll be back later tonight to check up on the store and get ready for tomorrow. Have a nice evening!”  
  
“You too, Suga-chan! Please enjoy your day off.”

He walked with just a little more spring in his step as he left for Daichi’s. Maeno-san was truly kind. Maybe one day, he could tell her just how much her generosity really meant.   
  
As he stopped at a crosswalk, he took out his phone and sent Daichi a quick text to let him know he was on his way. Today was going to be another wonderful day; it was no time to dwell in darkness.  
  
Everything would be fine.

* * *

Daichi’s apartment complex looked _lovely_. It was a relatively simple building, eight stories tall, and ringed with carefully nurtured shrubs and flowers. For a fleeting moment, Suga felt a longing so intense that it was a physical ache in his chest; even just seeing it from the outside made him remember just how badly he wanted a home.

 _A home... I don’t have a home._ Sometimes, it still didn’t feel real, and seeing the building that Daichi lived in was hitting him harder than he expected. _The things I would give to have an apartment here..._

He shook his head to snap himself out of it. _No. Keep it together._ He reached for his phone and sent Daichi another text to let him know he was there. He didn’t have to wait long; just a few minutes later, Daichi walked out of the front doors and jogged towards him, his smile as radiant as the sun.

“Suga!”  
  
“Daichi! Sorry I’m a few minutes early.”

“It’s no trouble. Honestly, I was ready an hour ago... It’s nice to see you again.”

“Oh? Did you miss me?” Suga teased.

Daichi flushed a little. “Well, yeah. How could I not?”

Now it was Suga’s turn to blush; he playfully nudged Daichi with his elbow and locked their hands together as they began to walk. “Flattery will get you everywhere,” he smiled.

“Oh really? Maybe I should tell you how flustered I got the very first time you walked into the coffee shop.”  
  
“I could tell,” Suga smirked.  
  
“You are so _mean_ ,” Daichi griped. “You look like an angel, but you’re so mean.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I couldn’t stop thinking about you after the first time I walked into The Crow’s Nest.” Suga looked to the horizon, a little embarrassed. “I couldn’t believe the barista was so hot! And then you were there the next day, and the next, and honestly you’re about seventy five percent of the reason I became a regular anyway.”

Daichi’s grin, Suga thought, was unfairly attractive, much like the rest of him. “Okay, I forgive you.”  
  
Suga bumped his shoulder again as he laughed, breathless and elated. “Thank you for your kindness, Sawamura-san!”

Their banter continued as they walked to a small burger shop nearby. Daichi wrinkled his nose as Suga put a truly astonishing amount of hot sauce and peppers on his food as he ate his own, and not once did the conversation lull or turn awkward. _Almost like we’re making up for all the years we didn’t know each other,_ Daichi thought dreamily. Suga was in the middle of talking about how cool Pluto was, regardless of whether or not it was a planet, when Daichi spotted a smear of hot sauce at the corner of his lip.

Without even thinking about it, he reached forward and used his thumb to swipe it away. Suga stared at him with his mouth slightly open, the hints of a smile beginning to appear on his face.  
  
“You uh... you had a little...”  
  
“You’re so cute,” the florist laughed. He playfully nudged one of Daichi’s feet with his own as he took a sip of his shake.

“Yeah, yeah.” He chewed thoughtfully on a french fry when his phone vibrated with an incoming message. He glanced at it as he took a sip of his coffee when his face suddenly lit up with excitement. “Hey, remember when I told you about everyone getting together to play volleyball? We’re having another session on Tuesday night, if you wanna come with us.”

“Sure! I’d love to,” Suga said, unable to contain his enthusiasm. “How many people will be there?”  
  
“From the looks of it, six altogether once we include you. We can do some three-on-three!”

“I’m probably really rusty, I hope that’s okay. I haven’t played in what feels like forever.”

“Hey, that’s what practice is for! We usually meet up once or twice a week, depending on our schedules. You’re welcome to come anytime.”

Suga smiled behind his cup. “You sure know how to sweet talk a guy.” 

“Thanks, I try,” Daichi said with a laugh. His fingers flew across his phone’s keyboard at a lightning pace, fueled with excitement.  
  
 ** _Sent to: Michimiya  
_** _Suga agreed to come on Tuesday! I call dibs on having him on my team._

He tucked his phone away, so captivated by his boyfriend that he didn’t even notice it vibrate with a reply moments later. After they finished eating, Daichi insisted on footing the entire bill once again before taking Suga to the riverfront nearby. They spent hours beside each other, dangling their feet in the water as they talked about everything and nothing at all. Daichi looked over at him in the glow of the setting sun; a pleasant warmth bloomed in his chest as he watched him and thought, _I could get used to this._

They shared pork buns on the way home; by the time they got back to Daichi’s apartment complex, night had fallen. He took both of Suga’s hands in his once more, like he had at the end of their previous date; he took a moment to just smile at him, to look at and appreciate every detail of the florist’s face.  
  
“You’re so beautiful, Suga,” he said honestly, with no sense of shame. “I’m a lucky man.”  
  
Suga’s flushed cheeks were as charming as ever. “I’m the lucky one, Daichi. You’re amazing.” He leaned forward, just a little, and the barista met him halfway; the kiss was slow and soft and so tender that Suga had to blink back tears.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Daichi asked in a hopeful tone.  
  
“Of course, silly. I’m looking forward to it.” Suga squeezed the other man’s hands and Daichi leaned forward to give him one more peck on the cheek before bidding him goodnight. He let himself back into the apartment building, and once he got on the elevator, he touched his lips and sighed happily; a warm feeling spread deep to his core as he realize that his face was actually a little sore from smiling so much. Daichi had never clicked with someone so much before; being around Suga was nothing short of euphoric.  
  
He made his way back to his apartment once the elevator reached the sixth floor, and toed his shoes off once he was inside; out of habit, he checked his phone as he put his keys on the kitchen counter. A text from hours ago brought yet another smile to his face, and he couldn’t help but laugh.  
  
 ** _From: Michimiya_**  
 _Good!! I can’t wait to meet Seirin’s very own Mr. Refreshing, not to mention the man that stole the heart of surly old Sawamura-kun!_

Daichi slept soundly that night; and a couple miles away in a small flower shop, his boyfriend fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

The next day, Suga made sure to ask Daichi who he would be setting for when everyone played tomorrow. That night, he went to the manga cafe once again so he could use the internet on his old school laptop, and scoured the internet for videos of games that Daichi and Asahi had played in. It had been months since he’d gotten the chance to play, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself; if he could familiarize himself with Daichi and Asahi’s spiking, even a little, it would be a huge help to him.

That night, he slept soundly in the chair he’d rented in the manga cafe, and dreamt of volleyball.

Tuesday morning saw Suga back in the flower shop just before dawn as usual. He made sure to get a little breakfast at a cornerstore nearby; if he was going to be playing volleyball later, he couldn’t skimp on food as much as he usually did. Passing out in the middle of a game would be mortifying, among other things...

The day passed by as usual; he stopped by the cornerstore again for a melon bread after work and sent Daichi a text to let him know he was on his way.  
  
 ** _From: Daichi  
_** _Great! Do you still have volleyball gear, or would you like to borrow some of mine?_

Suga flushed; his old Seirin gear was collecting dust in a tiny storage unit at the edge of the city that he’d been renting out ever since he became homeless. It’d take him forever to get to it.

**_Sent to: Daichi  
_** _I don’t have my old gear at my new place... I’d love to borrow some of yours, if it’s okay? I don’t mind just going in my clothes, though._

**_From: Daichi  
_** _No way, you should borrow my gear. It’s fine. I bet you’d look great in it, too._

Suga giggled; he could just imagine the blush on Daichi’s face right now matched his own.   
  
**_Sent to: Daichi  
_** _Ooh, Daichi, I didn’t know you were into that sort of thing... You’re full of surprises, aren’t you? Not that I mind ;)_

Suga slipped his phone into his pocket and began walking to the court with a smile on his face. Back at his apartment to grab his equipment, Daichi glanced at his phone and promptly became so flustered that he nearly dropped both it and the gym bag on the ground.  
  
It was going to be an interesting night, to be sure.

* * *

Suga peeked into the changing room off to the side of the outdoor court. “Daichi?”

“Suga! In here.” The florist walked into the chilly building to find Daichi just setting his things on the ground. “The others haven’t arrived yet. Here.” He dug around in his bag for a moment before handing a set of clothes over. “Um... It’s a spare of my old uniform at Karasuno. I hope that’s okay. I’d wear it, but it’d feel a bit egotistical.” _And I bet you look great in black,_ he thought to himself as Suga took them from him.  
  
“I don’t mind at all. Thanks, Daichi.” He turned away a bit in a show of modesty, but he could feel Daichi’s eyes on him as he pulled his sweater over his head.  
  
Daichi tried to peel his eyes away, but felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of Suga’s bare skin, his muscles moving gracefully with his motions. He covered his mouth with his hand and knelt down; he untied and retied his shoes, desperate to focus on anything other than his boyfriend. Getting hard at the start of volleyball practice would be inconvenient, to say the least.

“You can look now,” Suga said with a hint of laughter. “Not that anything was stopping you in the first place.”  
  
Daichi smiled a little bashfully as he stood up. “Sorry. I don’t want to be creepy or anything, you know? ...Wow, I was right.”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“You look amazing.” The uniform was a little on the large side, but the dark colors contrasted with Suga’s features, and seeing his clothes on Suga--not to mention his old uniform--was something he didn’t expect to have such an effect on him.

“Oh? You don’t look so bad yourself, Captain.” Suga’s grin grew wider at Daichi’s surprised and flustered look. “Come on, let’s save the flirting for later. I’ve got it in spades, if you like it that much.”  
  
“You’re too cute for your own good,” Daichi grumbled as he followed the florist out to the court. A woman in a volleyball uniform was already there; to the side, Tanaka, Asahi and Nishinoya were making their way to the changing room. Daichi and Suga greeted them before turning back to the other player.  
  
“Suga, this is Michimiya. She was captain of the Karasuno girls’ team in high school and university.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Suga said politely with a small bow. Michimiya just laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.  
  
“Come on, no need for that. It’s good to meet you too! God, I was beginning to think Daichi would _never_ get a boyfriend--”  
  
“ _Michimiya_ ,” Daichi hissed.

Her smile grew wider. “Haha, sorry! Grumpy as ever, Daichi. Really, though, it’s nice to meet you, Suga-kun.” She paused, a mischievous gleam obvious in her eyes. “Nice uniform, by the way.”

“Let’s warm up,” Daichi said pointedly. “Stretches are better than teasing.”  
  
“Nothing is better than teasing! But I guess stretching is important. Wouldn’t wanna hurt yourself when we’re busy destroying you in this three-on-three.”  
  
“Oh, we’ll see about that. Come on, Suga, there’s a nice spot over there where we can help each other.”  
  
“Hey, get a room!”

Daichi ignored her, but Suga flashed her a smile as he tried to stifle his laughter and pretend that he hadn’t noticed just how flushed Daichi’s cheeks were. A few minutes after they’d started stretching, the other three players came out of the changing room, rowdy and full of energy. Or at least, Tanaka and Nishinoya were; Asahi looked vaguely embarrassed, but Suga figured that was pretty much standard at this point.

“Suga-san! I’m so excited to play volleyball with you!” Tanaka sang over the court. “Nice uniform!”  
  
“Is _everyone_ going to mention the uniform?” Daichi griped.  
  
“Really, I’m surprised you didn’t foresee the consequences,” Suga said with a laugh.  
  
After a few more minutes of stretching, everyone was ready and took their places; Daichi, Suga and Asahi were on one side, with Michimiya, Tanaka and Nishinoya on the other. Michimiya’s first serve was flawless--but so was Daichi’s near-legendary receive.  
  
It was then that Suga had his chance to shine. He remembered the patterns that he’d seen in the videos he watched, and tossed to the exact spot that he was certain would benefit Asahi the most...  
  
...and it was perfect.  
  
The former ace spiked the ball with so much force that the resounding impact on the other side of the court was nearly deafening; even Nishinoya was momentarily stunned, and Asahi looked nearly as surprised as he did.  
  
Daichi’s smile was incredible. “Suga... Suga, that toss was _amazing_.”

“Oh... thank you.” He was obviously pleased and radiated happiness. _I didn’t expect that to go so well._

“I thought you said you were _rusty_! Suga-san, that was _awesome_!” Tanaka yelled. “Don’t think we’ll go easy on you, though!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a radiant smile.

The game continued; nobody was keeping track of the score, but at the same time, nobody seemed to care. Hours later, they finally stopped when Tanaka of all people held his hands up in surrender.

“Oi, if I spike anymore, I might actually die on the spot. I was up all night... uh, studying.”  
  
“Watching movies doesn’t count as studying!” Nishinoya said with a laugh.  
  
“You two have a lot to do tomorrow, right? Let’s play again this weekend.” Michimiya slapped Tanaka on the back. “You guys always live up to my expectations! I wanna play on Suga-kun’s side next time, though.”  
  
“No fair, I wanna play with Suga-san too!”  
  
“Maybe we can... take turns?” Asahi suggested quietly.

Daichi leaned over and whispered quietly into the florist’s ear. “You’re pretty popular.”

Suga laughed. “Sure seems like it. Um... Thanks, Daichi. For inviting me to this. It was a lot of fun.”

“Hey, of course. You’re welcome to come any time.” He tried very, very hard to avoid thinking about how _good_ Suga looked like this, sweaty and just a little disheveled in his uniform as he tried to catch his breath. _Later_ , he told himself desperately. _Think about it later._

After a few minutes of stretching and cooling down, everyone headed inside to change back into their normal clothing. Daichi got another glimpse, but he wasn’t the only one; Suga just smiled when the barista caught him openly staring at him with obvious appreciation.

A round of goodbyes later, Daichi and Suga were alone again, headed back towards Daichi’s apartment. When they got there, Daichi held both of the florist’s hands the way he always did when they were parting for the evening; it was almost an instinct at this point.   
  
“Thanks for playing with us, Suga. Everyone really liked you, and you’re incredible... You’re seriously welcome to play with us whenever.”  
  
“I’d love to! I really missed volleyball, honestly. Thanks for having me.”  
  
“Are you kidding? I was so excited when you said you’d show up that I could barely stand still,” Daichi laughed. “I’ll text you whenever I know the date for more sessions. Hey, maybe we can get dinner again on Friday night?”  
  
“Sounds good to me.” Suga leaned forward and kissed Daichi, slow and soft. “See you tomorrow, Daichi.”  
  
“Good night, Suga.”

As the florist headed back to the gym to shower, he sent a text to Hinata. He had to share the good in his life as much as he could; it would help alleviate some of the younger boy’s fears, and ease some of Suga’s guilt about worrying him as much as he did.  
  
 ** _Sent to: Hinata-kun  
_** _We just finished volleyball! I got to play with a bunch of Karasuno all stars and even wore Daichi’s old uniform. It kinda makes me nostalgic for the old days, but it was great!_

Not thirty seconds later, his phone vibrated with a reply.  
  
 ** _From: Hinata-kun  
_** _that’s awesome!! everyone wants to come visit soon, when we do we should all play with the karasuno players too!! i’ll go tell ennoshita-san and see what he thinks! :)_

Suga relished his shower as always; being back on the court felt almost like home.  
  
His heart ached a little. As the warm water began to cascade over his skin, he let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in as images of Daichi flashed through his mind; shirtless, muscular Daichi, sweaty and panting from exertion.  
  
One of Suga’s hands wandered lower and lower; he bit down on his lower lip, willed himself to stay quiet, and gave in to his fantasies.  
  
Several miles away, in the darkness of his room, Daichi did the same.

* * *

The days blurred into weeks. Daichi and Suga went out at least once a week, if not more, and Suga never missed a session of volleyball with the neighborhood team. They were like two halves of a whole; synchronized and lifting each other up, enriching each other’s lives.

A month after they’d started dating, Suga was standing in front of Daichi’s apartment complex once more, ready to say goodnight. But this time, when Daichi took his hands in his own, he looked a little more nervous than usual, and didn’t say his customary goodbye.  
  
“Suga... do you...” His eyes glanced away for a moment, uncharacteristically shy, before meeting Suga’s gaze once more. “Do you want to come in with me, tonight?”

A huge smile spread over Suga’s face, his cheeks faintly pink. “...Yeah, that’d be wonderful. Lead the way.”  
  
Daichi squeezed his hands before letting one of them go, lacing his fingers through Suga’s as he let himself into the building. After a few turns, they were at an elevator; Daichi hit the button for the sixth floor and watched the doors close as Suga observed him curiously. They didn’t say anything until after they stepped out of the elevator and made their way to a door labeled with a small sign that read  _608_.

“Here it is. Sorry for the mess,” Daichi mumbled as he opened the door. Suga pretended not to notice that he fumbled with his keys a little bit as he followed him inside and toed his shoes off by the door.   
  
It was cozy and clean; the walls were an off-white color, the living room and kitchen both connected. A huge, deep red couch was placed in front of a large flatscreen television and a glass coffee table with a laptop and an empty coffee mug. Suga followed Daichi to the couch and sat beside him with his hands in his lap; he smiled when he caught sight of Daichi’s vaguely embarrassed expression.

“Are you nervous, Daichi?”  
  
“...A little,” he admitted. “I’m not very experienced with this sort of thing. Inviting people up, I mean.”  
  
“That’s okay. I don’t exactly get invited to people’s apartments a lot myself, you know.” He leaned in closer; his breath ghosted over Daichi’s skin. “I’m a little nervous, too. But it’s just you and me. We don’t have anything to prove to each other.”

“I guess you’re right.” One of Daichi’s hands wandered down and rested lightly against Suga’s thigh. “Can I... can I kiss you, Suga?”

“Of course, Daichi...”

Daichi’s lips were warm and soft against his own; he moved slowly, touching Suga with the tenderness of a saint, as though he were afraid of hurting him or scaring him. His hands were steady and firm against Suga’s body; before long, both of their nervousness had melted away. They kissed for what felt like hours, content and completely lost in each other.  
  
Eventually, Daichi pulled away, a small smile on his face. “I have an idea...” he said quietly.  
  
Suga arched one eyebrow and let out a surprised squeak as Daichi hooked his arms beneath him and lifted him, so easily it was like he hardly weighed anything at all. “Wow,” the florist giggled quietly, his voice breathy with excitement. “You’re so strong, Daichi...”

Daichi hummed in response, and walked towards the bedroom with Suga securely in his arms. In the darkness, he placed him gently on the large bed before reaching over to turn on the lamp on the nightstand nearby. The room was bathed in a dim, yellow light; Suga smiled as Daichi sat beside him before lying down. The barista brought his fingers up to Suga’s swollen lips, then leaned forward and kissed him again, just a bit more urgently than before.  
  
They lost themselves in each other, so easily; the last of their anxieties faded away as they became one. As Suga gasped Daichi’s name against his neck, he felt truly at ease for the first time in what felt like forever.  
  
Later, as Daichi pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, Suga began to doze off in the other man’s arms. Daichi smiled and held him close as he drifted off to sleep, content in a way he’d never thought possible.

For the first time in so, so long, Suga fell asleep feeling completely safe and at peace.

* * *

The next morning, they got ready for work together. It was domestic in a way Suga found incredibly charming. Once they were ready to go, they held hands during their entire walk until they reached The Crow’s Nest; Daichi gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, promising that he’d see him later at lunch.

Suga waved as he continued on his way to the flower shop, enjoying the quiet of the streets in the pre-dawn darkness. Once inside, he took a moment to steady himself against the counter; he was dizzy again. It had been happening more and more often lately, but he wasn’t too worried; in another month or so, he’d definitely have enough saved up for a new apartment. _I probably just haven’t been eating enough, or sleeping well enough... maybe I’m working too hard. But I almost have enough saved up. It’ll be fine._  
  
 _Everything will be fine._

* * *

The week passed by as usual, with one difference: Hinata and the others at Seirin had promised to visit Suga over the weekend, and he was definitely looking forward to it, though he was a bit nervous. It would be the first time he’d seen them since everything had gone downhill for him.

He continued as normal, and became more excited with each passing day. He’d get to introduce his old teammates to Daichi, and maybe they could play volleyball together... Friday afternoon came, and he was practically vibrating with excitement. After a customer left, leaving the shop empty once more, he paused to catch his breath; he was feeling dizzy again, more than ever before. He took a sip from the glass of water he kept at the register, but it almost slipped from his grip; his hands were clammy and cold with sweat. Something felt wrong, different this time. Like it was worse than usual.  
  
He tried to stand straighter, but the dizziness got worse; his vision swam dangerously, and he felt himself swaying on his feet. _Shit--_ His hands gripped the counter to steady himself, but they slipped; suddenly, he felt himself falling, the vertigo so strong that he felt like he would be sick.   
  
As he slipped, he slammed against something, hard; he felt a sharp pain and a wet warmth across his face, and then all he knew was darkness.

* * *

The store was oddly quiet as Daichi walked into the Bluebell a few minutes earlier than he normally did, Suga’s lunch in hand. He looked around; the florist wasn’t standing at the register like he usually was. _Maybe he’s in the back?_

He walked forward, and placed the drink and sandwich on the counter when something on the floor behind it caught his eye. He craned his head to see better--and felt his blood run cold.  
  
A pale, familiar hand.

He rushed around the counter, only to find Suga lying unconscious, blood covering one eye and pooling around his face. “Suga! Suga, oh _God_...” _Did someone hit him? Was he robbed?_ He knelt beside him, his knee hitting the floor hard enough to bruise; he didn’t even notice the pain as he touched Suga's cheek with one hand and grabbed his phone from his apron pocket with the other. With shaking hands, he dialed emergency services. His voice cracked as he gave the dispatcher the address of the store; the man on the other end of the line assured him that an ambulance would be there shortly. He ended the call, put his phone back into his pocket, and stroked Suga’s face gently, whispering reassurances to his prone form despite the fact that he couldn’t hear him at all.  
  
“Everything will be fine, Suga.” A tear fell down Daichi’s cheek; his chest ached with worry and grief as another drop of blood fell to the floor.  
  
“Everything will be fine...”

* * *

_to be continued in chapter 4_

 


	4. Chapter 4

Suga’s eyes fluttered gently as he regained consciousness.  
  
The pain hit him again, and he groaned; Daichi leaned closer and stroked his cheek gently. “Suga? You’re awake? Suga, can you hear me?”

“Daichi...?” He tried to sit up, but crumpled almost immediately.  
  
“Shh, just stay there. There’s an ambulance on the way. It’ll be okay. I’m right here with you.” His gut twisted at the sight of Suga’s pale, exhausted face; his skin was smeared with blood, and it had seeped into his hair.

“Am I... am I bleeding?” His voice was dazed and quiet. “Daichi, am I bleeding?”  
  
“I think you have a cut on your face. You’ll be okay.” It was something the barista desperately wanted to believe. Suga blinked at him, slowly, like he was trying to remember something.  
  
“I... I fell...”  
  
Something in Daichi felt slightly relieved and more worried all at once. “You fell? Nobody hit you?” _But why would he fall like that...?_  
  
Suga shook his head, just slightly; his hands found Daichi’s arm and latched on, like he was afraid of letting go. “No, I fell... I was really dizzy. I think my face hit the counter, maybe...?”  
  
Daichi traced soothing circles over Suga’s cheek with his thumb. “Why were you so dizzy? Do you know?” He was close enough to feel the sudden tension in the florist’s body, as though he were afraid to answer. But with paramedics on the way, Suga was sure he couldn’t get out of this without Daichi finding out at least a little bit of what was going on.  
  
“I think it’s because... I don’t eat very much anymore. Usually only lunch, during my break in the afternoon. And I work a lot...”  
  
Daichi’s brow furrowed with worry. “That’s... that’s hardly _anything_. Why don’t you eat more, Suga? What’s stopping you?”

A commotion at the doorway saved him from having to answer; two medics came in with a stretcher and hustled Daichi out of the way while they tended to Suga. He followed them closely as they carefully carried the florist outside.

“Wait,” Suga pleaded, voice quiet. “Please... Please lock up the store, my keys are right here in my pocket. Please.”  
  
“I’ll do it.” Daichi took the keys and turned back towards the shop’s doors, and flipped the sign from _Open_ to _Closed_.

One of the medics spoke up. “Will you be staying with him?”  
  
Daichi nodded wordlessly as he finished his task, and Suga was lifted into the back of the waiting ambulance. They motioned at him to come forward, and he climbed in and sat at Suga’s side, unable to take his eyes off of him.  
  
“There’s a laceration next to his left eye. Let’s stop the bleeding.” The medics spoke to each other rapidly as they assessed Suga’s condition, but the words didn’t process in Daichi’s mind at all. All he could do was stare at Suga blankly, uncomprehending, with the adrenaline of fear only just barely starting to fade.  
  
It wasn’t long before they got to the hospital. Daichi followed the rushing medics inside; Suga was put into a room immediately. Daichi stayed at his bedside and held his hand until he was rushed out for x-rays and tests, and held it again as soon as he returned, both to comfort Suga and to quell his own nervousness. The florist made a quick call to Maeno-san and sent Hinata a text to tell them what happened; when he put his phone away, the doctor had returned to talk about the results of his tests.  
  
“We’re going to keep him overnight for observation,” she said calmly. “Sugawara-san’s x-rays came back normal; the cut on his face will heal fine. You’re lucky, though--another centimeter to the side, and you might have lost your eye.” Suga touched the small bandage on his face with slightly shaking hands as she continued speaking. “I’m going to be blunt; you’re malnourished, and that’s what’s causing your dizzy spells and exhaustion. Your body is starving, and likely has been for a while. You need to start eating more regularly, or it won’t get better. Okay?”  
  
“I understand,” Suga said quietly.  
  
“Good. I’ll leave you two alone now; call us if you need anything. Someone will be by to check on you in a few hours.”

The silence in the room after the doctor left was heavy with tension.  
  
“Suga.” Daichi’s voice was quiet, but the undercurrent of concern was clear in his tone. His brow was wrinkled with worry. “Suga, please. Why haven’t you been eating? Tell me... tell me what’s wrong.”

The machine monitoring Suga’s heart betrayed his quickened pulse at the question, at Daichi’s determined eyes, at being cornered in a hospital bed, of all places. He looked away, unable to meet his gaze; his hands had started to shake again, harder this time, and his shoulders were drawn tight with tension.  
  
“Can I...” Suga bit his lower lip and paused to take a deep breath. “Can I tell you after I’m out of the hospital?”  
  
“...After you’re discharged?”  
  
“Yeah. I don’t... I don’t want to talk about it here. Not here, please.”

Daichi sighed, but nodded his agreement. “Okay. Tomorrow, then? You can come over for dinner, and we can talk. If that’s okay.”  
  
“Yeah...”  
  
Daichi squeezed Suga’s hand and took a deep breath. “I’m... I’m not mad, if that’s how it seems. I’m just worried. When I saw you lying on the ground, I was--” His voice broke, and he closed his eyes; he took another deep, shuddering breath before continuing. “I was so scared. I was _terrified_. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s obvious that something is wrong. I won’t be angry. I just want to help.”

Suga trembled as he tried to push his emotions away; Daichi had almost torn down the wall that he’d been keeping up for so long, but he was still afraid of what he would think. He was caught, though; there was no avoiding the questions this time, no dodging the answers that Daichi was seeking. Tomorrow, he would have to put all his cards on the table.  
  
“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow,” he whispered. “I promise.” Daichi squeezed his hand again in response, and didn’t let go.

The exhaustion finally overtook him once more; Suga fell asleep, feeling very tired, very small, and incredibly afraid.

* * *

“...Suga-san is in the hospital.”

“ _What..._?”

Hinata clutched his phone like a lifeline; Kageyama kept a steadying hand on the small of his back as Ennoshita, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima looked at the decoy with startled expressions, their quest to get drinks from a vending machine entirely forgotten.  
  
“He hasn’t been eating enough.” The words were pouring from his mouth before he could think to stop them. “He got dizzy and fell, and he... he almost lost an eye.”  
  
“Hinata.” Ennoshita’s voice was deadly calm as he put his hands on the younger man’s shoulders. “Why hasn’t Suga-san been eating enough? Why didn’t you tell us until now?”  
  
“He didn’t want anyone to know! He wanted to fix it himself--”  
  
“Fix _what,_ Hinata?”  
  
“He’s--he’s homeless.”  
  
“Excuse me?” Tsukishima sounded angry; he took a step towards Hinata, his hands clenched into fists.  
  
Yamaguchi put a calming hand on the blond’s shoulder as Ennoshita sighed and asked another question. “How long has Suga-san been homeless?”  
  
“...About two months.”  
  
Ennoshita swore. “We’re going to pay him a visit in the hospital. Tonight. _Right now_. Let’s go.”  
  
Hinata’s eyes brightened with a mixture of excitement and worry. “Really? For real?! What about classes? And practice?”  
  
“I never thought I’d say this, but some things are more important than grades and volleyball. Besides, it’s just one day. We need to help Suga-san, no matter the cost. This is completely unacceptable.” Not one word of complaint was voiced. “All right. Let’s get going; we can check the train schedules on my phone, and I have enough for hotel rooms until Sunday. With any luck, we can be there in a couple hours or so. Let’s try and think of ways to help Suga-san in the meantime, okay?”

* * *

Daichi was determined to stay with Suga all day until the doctors told him to leave later that evening; he’d even called The Crow’s Nest and had Asahi cover for him for the rest of his shift. He did most of the talking while Suga listened, this time; he told stories about volleyball club, about his childhood in general, and about running the shop, anything and everything that came to mind.

He was in the middle of laughing about Nishinoya dueling in the hallways once with a broom when Suga received a text from Hinata.  
  
“That’s weird. He’s asking what room I’m in, for some reason.” Confusion made him wrinkle his nose; despite the situation, Daichi couldn’t help but think it was adorable. “I’m not sure why... I hope he doesn’t do something ridiculous like try to deliver a pizza.” He smiled as he said it, and typed out a quick response before turning his attention back to Daichi. “So, Nishinoya tried to get Asahi to duel with him in the hallway? I don’t know him as well as you, of course, but I can’t really imagine Asahi doing something like that...”  
  
Daichi laughed. “Bingo. But he looks so scary to most people, he still got in way more trouble than Nishinoya did. I actually felt kind of bad for him. Not that I told him that.”  
  
“Daichi, you’re so mean!” Suga covered up his giggling with one hand. “You’re kind of hard on Asahi, huh?”  
  
“He just needs a little push sometimes. He’s a really good guy, though--”  
  
“ _Suga-san!_ ”

Suga and Daichi looked up to see five people in the doorway, still in school uniforms, their shocked eyes all trained on the bedridden florist.  
  
“What... what are you all _doing_ here? Don’t you have school? Hinata, I thought you were just going to do something weird like order food to my room! Why did you all come out here so suddenly?” Suga shook his head. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, I’m just--”  
  
“Suga-san.” Ennoshita stepped forward; his expression was a mixture of shock and concern. “We... Hinata told us everything that’s been going on. We want to help you.”

“ _What_? Hinata--”

“You look... bad.” Tsukishima cut in, his voice quiet.  
  
“Y-yeah.” Yamaguchi’s agreement was immediate. “You look so much worse than you did a few months ago...”

“Hey, you’re Daichi-san, right?” Hinata walked up to the chair he was sitting in as he asked the question. “Do you know what Suga-san used to look like?”  
  
“What are you talking about?”

“Of course he doesn’t know, dumbass. He hasn’t known him that long. I doubt Sugawara-san has shown him any photos of himself.” Even as he said the biting words, Kageyama put one hand on the small of Hinata’s back; a casual touch that he’d done many times before. Suga would smile if the situation wasn’t so awful.  
  
“Here.” Hinata pushed a few buttons on his phone and turned it around so Daichi could see the screen.  
  
The barista took in a deep, startled breath.  
  
He’d already been stunned by Suga’s beauty when he first walked into the coffee shop--but at that point, Suga had already been running on lack of food and sleep with a heavy helping of stress. But the Suga in the photo he was looking at was on an entirely different level; he was positively radiant. There were no dark circles under his eyes; his face and frame seemed fuller, he stood straighter, and there wasn’t any hint of the world wearing him down and stealing the light from his smile.

He looked up at Suga then; the florist bit his lower lip and glanced away. Daichi looked heartbroken. “Suga, what the hell happened to you?”  
  
“I... I promised I’d tell you tomorrow. I will.”

“Suga-san, please, let us help you. We can figure something out,” Ennoshita pleaded.  
  
“Yeah! And maybe Daichi-san can help too,” Hinata said eagerly. “I’m... I’m sorry for telling everyone, by the way. I was just so worried--”  
  
“It’s fine, Hinata.” Suga cut him off, and smiled, but the expression was half-hearted at best. An air of heavy fatigue and sadness had settled over him. “It was bound to come out into the open eventually. Let me... let me talk to Daichi tomorrow, okay? And then I’ll talk to all of you again, too.”  
  
“We’re staying in the city until Sunday night,” Ennoshita said. “We were planning on it anyway. Would you be willing to meet up with us tomorrow or Sunday, Suga-san?”  
  
“Yeah. I promise... I’ll talk to you after I talk to Daichi tomorrow.”  
  
“Fantastic. Now, we should probably leave before we get kicked out,” Tsukishima said drily. “This room wasn’t meant to hold seven people.”

“Yeah. Let’s get going. I’m sorry for dropping in so suddenly, Suga-san.” Ennoshita took a deep breath and continued. “We’ll get in touch tomorrow to make plans. We’re going to get you out of this mess. I swear it.”

As they began to turn away, Hinata ran up to Daichi and put his hands on his shoulders; he stooped down a little, bent his knees so he was eye level with the older man. “Daichi-san,” he said, very seriously. “You mean a lot to Suga-san, and from what he’s told me, you’re a great man! Please...” He trailed off for a moment, as if he was thinking of what to say next. “Please, take care of Suga-san. Don’t abandon him.”

The barista flushed a little. “Yeah, of course. I’d never abandon him.”  
  
“Good! Thank you so much!” Hinata gave him a thumbs up as Kageyama tugged at his collar. “See you this weekend, Suga-san!”

A moment later, the five students left as suddenly as they arrived, leaving Daichi and Suga in awkward silence once more.

Despite the tension, Daichi didn’t leave that night until he was ushered out by the nurses. Truthfully, Suga didn’t want him to go; the last thing he wanted at that moment was to be alone. The quiet darkness and solitude of the room settled in on him like a suffocating weight, and the reality of his situation coming to light finally hit him full force.

He did his best to stay quiet even as sobs wracked his weakened body, even as he shook with despair. _I’ve been such a burden on everyone_. He took a deep, shaking breath as he felt more hot tears trail over his cheeks. _Worthless... pathetic..._ He held back a hysterical laugh, choked back another sob. He felt like he would never stop crying. _Maybe I’d be better off dead. And I’d be doing them a favor._

The sheets of the bed wrinkled as he turned over on his side and curled up, willing himself to calm down. _No. I can’t think that way. I can’t. It’ll be fine. Everything will be okay. This wasn’t my fault._ He knew it was true, but it still felt like an excuse.

He fell asleep, hours later, face still wet with tears.

* * *

Daichi wondered if he would get any rest at all that night. 

His body felt heavy as he finally fell into bed; he didn’t even bother changing out of the work clothes he’d been wearing all day. It was clear that something was terribly wrong with Suga, but he couldn’t be sure what it was.  
  
All he knew was that Suga was afraid to tell him.

He wasn’t sure why, but he was certain that something was keeping him from bringing it up to Daichi. A shiver ran through his body as he rolled over and wrapped himself further into his blankets; worry and agitation twisted through his mind.

It was hours before he finally fell asleep.

* * *

Suga was still sleeping when Daichi got to his hospital room in the morning.

He felt his heart clench when he saw Suga’s face; his eyes were swollen from crying, and he looked truly exhausted and fragile curled up in the hospital bed.

“Sawamura-san, correct?”

The doctor from yesterday was standing in the doorway with several papers in her hand. “Good morning. Sugawara-san is being discharged after he wakes up, barring any complications. But he should be fine.” She held out the papers in her hand; Daichi took them and glanced over the text. “These are the details of his stay, and instructions on what he needs to do to become healthy again. Please give these to him when he wakes up, and take him home.”  
  
“Yeah... thanks.”

He read over the papers while he waited; he felt his stomach turn at the words staring back at him. _Diagnoses: Malnourishment, starvation. Patient is likely suffering a weakened immune system as a result. Side effects include extreme fatigue, weakness, dizzy spells, heart palpitations, difficulty digesting food..._ He stopped reading and closed his eyes when he realized he was clenching his jaw. He’d look over the papers later at home with Suga after they’d spoken.

About fifteen minutes later, Suga stirred to consciousness. Quietly, Daichi relayed what the doctor had told him, and turned away so the florist could dress himself.  
  
Hand in hand, they walked back to Daichi’s apartment, barely speaking a word the entire way back.

* * *

Suga sat quietly on the couch, his nerves thrumming with anxiety. He fidgeted with the end of the sleeves on his sweater as his boyfriend sat down and turned to face him; Daichi took both of Suga’s hands in his own, the way he always did at the end of their dates, and just looked at him quietly for a moment before speaking.

“Suga, whatever it is, I’m not gonna be mad. I really just want to help. I know that... I know we haven’t been dating very long, but you really do mean a lot to me. When I saw you on the ground, I--” His voice broke, for a moment, and he looked down at Suga’s hands before meeting his eyes once again. “I was terrified. I didn’t know if you were...”  
  
His hands tightened their grip; he couldn’t even bring himself to say it. “Please tell me, Suga. Let me help you.”  
  
Suga closed his eyes, and for a moment, he didn’t respond. He took a deep, shaking breath, and then started speaking.  
  
“Okay. It’s kind of... There’s some backstory to it.” He bit at his lip. “After I finished college, I was staying in a small apartment near Seirin University with a friend and her boyfriend. It was a month-to-month lease, but she wanted to come back here, since it’s her hometown... We all agreed that we’d do that and share an apartment here.” His smile was wry, edged with self-deprecation. “I didn’t plan ahead... I trusted too easily, I guess.”  
  
Daichi was quiet, and said nothing; he was listening intently, so Suga continued. “I came a week ahead of time... I only had the money to get a capsule hotel for a little bit, but not enough for a real downpayment on an apartment. Saeko and her boyfriend said that was fine, and once they found a place, I could just pay rent monthly.”  
  
 _Saeko._ Daichi’s brow furrowed in concentration. _That sounds familiar..._

“By the time they were supposed to be coming here, they still hadn’t found a place. Her boyfriend was insisting they could stay with a friend and look for an apartment when they got here. I thought it was kind of weird, and a little irresponsible, you know? But I didn’t say anything...”

“...And when they got here, he dumped her immediately and went to live in Tokyo with his friends. Is that right?” Daichi asked quietly.  
  
Suga’s eyes widened. “What? Daichi, how did you know that--”  
  
“Tanaka Saeko. That’s her name, right?” He sighed and looked down at Suga’s hands again. “Tanaka, at the shop? The loudmouth at volleyball? That’s his older sister. He was pissed about this and wouldn’t stop talking about it at work for a week straight. Saeko’s been staying with his family again. She only just found a new apartment a week ago, since her ex took her money when he made a run for it.” The grip he had on Suga’s hands tightened, and his eyes became deadly serious. “But if Saeko was staying with her family... What happened to you? What about _you_ , Suga?”  
  
Daichi could feel the faint tremor in Suga’s hands, saw it in the line of his shoulders as his hazel eyes began to shine with unshed tears. “I... My parents don’t... approve of me being... You know. S-so I can’t stay with them.” He squeezed his eyes shut, and the tears finally began to fall. The more he talked, the harder it was to keep himself composed. “And I’m not from around here, so I don’t have anywhere to go. I don’t--I don’t want to ask my kouhai or my friends for help, so I’m saving money on my own... I sleep on the Bluebell floor at night, or in a manga cafe. I want to f-fix this on my own, without being a burden,” he stammered. “But I don’t... I don’t know how much longer I can take it... I can’t--”  
  
His voice broke as he choked on a sob; not a moment later, he felt warm, strong arms wrap around him in a tight hug. “ _Suga_... Suga, oh my god...” The florist’s face was pressed against the crook of Daichi’s neck as he hugged him with one hand resting in his hair. “I’m so sorry--Suga, I’m so sorry.” _He’s proud, so stubborn about not being dependent--no wonder he didn’t ask me for help,_ Daichi thought with heartbroken fondness.   
  
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Suga’s voice was barely a whisper against Daichi’s skin. “I didn’t... I didn’t want to scare you off, or--”  
  
“It’s fine.” Daichi hugged him closer. “It’s okay, Suga. Just... We can fix this. Okay? It’s gonna be okay.”  
  
“But I... I still don’t have enough just yet.” His hands clenched into fists. “It’ll still be a few weeks, maybe a month... I’ve been looking around, but...”  
  
“Stay here with me, Suga.”  
  
The florist tensed beneath him, his breath caught in his throat. “...D...Daichi? I--”  
  
“Please... Even if it’s just until you find your own place, but I... I know it’s soon, but I wouldn’t mind you staying with me. And it wouldn’t be charity, or a burden, right? This apartment is big enough for two, and splitting rent would save me money. No downpayment. No drama. No bullshit. Just you and me.”

“Daichi...” Suga pulled away so that he could look at Daichi; the barista noticed his face was blotchy from crying, and smiled at him, sad and hopeful all at once.  
  
“Sorry if I’m moving a little fast. I’ve been trying to take it slow with you to make sure I don’t mess up, or anything, but... Suga, I love you. I really, _really_ love you, and I can’t... I couldn’t sleep at night, knowing you’re in the situation you’re in. Please...” Daichi took a deep, shuddering breath. “Please move in with me, Suga.”  
  
A wobbly smile spread over Suga’s face as his eyes gleamed with more tears, and he leaned forward to wrap Daichi in another hug. “ _Daichi_... You can’t just say all that at once! It would be so tacky if I told you I loved you and accepted at the same time!”  
  
Daichi’s laughter was surprised, but genuine, full of delight and warmth. “Like I care. Is that a yes?”

“If... If you’re really okay with it, I’d love to live with you...”  
  
“Trust me, I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it. You have the weekend off, right? Do you have anything you need to bring to the apartment?”  
  
“Oh... um, yeah, I have some of my old stuff in a storage unit on the edge of town. Not much, though... Just some clothes and electronics, and a desk and futon.”  
  
Daichi’s smile was blinding. “Okay. How about this--give them a quick call to let them know some movers will be over to grab your stuff soon. I’ll take care of the rest. I want you to relax and get your strength back, okay? We can have lunch here while we wait.”  
  
Suga returned the smile as he wiped at his eyes with his sleeves. “Okay. I should tell Hinata and the others, too... Daichi... Thank you.”

Daichi gave him a kiss, slow and soft. “No, Suga, thank _you_. For letting me help and... Everything, I guess. Yeah.” He laughed bashfully. “You’re not alone, okay? Not anymore.”  
  
“Yeah, I know.” Suga’s smile made Daichi’s heart flutter in his chest. “I’m glad that you could... find something worthwhile in a broken mess like me.”

“You’re not broken, Suga.” He held him close as he spoke. “Sometimes we all need a hand. There’s no shame in that. Okay?”  
  
Suga’s eyes glittered in the afternoon light streaming through the windows, and as he leaned forward to kiss him, Daichi knew what it meant to feel like the luckiest man alive.

 

* * *

 

**Three Years Later**

 

* * *

 

“So, you have the whole weekend off?” 

Daichi hugged Suga from behind as he asked, and placed a light kiss on his ear. The shorter man giggled as he prodded at the fried rice that he was cooking on the stove. “Yeah. Turns out it’s pretty easy to cover shifts when you’re the owner and everyone loves you.”

“Great. We’ve earned a little vacation. The hot springs are gonna be awesome.”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it! And then we have Yamaguchi’s birthday party the weekend after, don’t forget.” He laughed again; Daichi smiled fondly. Suga’s smiles and laughter never ceased to make him feel like he was walking on air. “I wonder if Hinata is still banned from alcohol after last time.”

“Making out with Kageyama in the middle of the street was a pretty serious infraction,” Daichi said with a grin. “Did Kageyama forgive him for that, yet?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t doubt it. He acts all surly, but he’s a big softie. Secretly, he’s just a really awkward dork.”

“No kidding. Hey, I think I heard my phone, I’ll be back in a minute.”  
  
“Go sit down and relax! Dinner’s almost ready anyway.”  
  
Daichi was all smiles as he went to the living room and plopped down on the couch; he picked up his phone, and sure enough, a text from Nishinoya was waiting for him.  
  
 ** _From: Nishinoya_**  
 _DID HE SAY YES_

He let out a bemused sigh as he typed out a response.  
  
 ** _Sent to: Nishinoya  
_** _I haven’t even asked him yet, I’m waiting until our trip this weekend. Give me a break._

The sound of Suga humming floated over from the kitchen, and Daichi couldn’t help but smile to himself. The last three years had been nothing short of incredible, full of bliss that he could have never imagined before meeting Suga. Suga himself was much healthier these days, in great spirits once again; he had a home, a job that he adored, a boyfriend that loved him more than anything, and friends that meant the world to him.  
  
He sighed contentedly as he gazed out the window, one hand idly toying with a small box in the pocket of his jeans. Suga deserved nothing short of the absolute best in life, and Daichi was determined to make sure he got it. Any hardships, any difficulties, and any sorrow that came their way, they could face down without fear...  
  
Together.

* * *

**  
[fin]**

 


End file.
